Oscar Schumann, 83, of Shawano, passed away on Friday morning, Jan. 31, 2014, at ManorCare of Shawano. Funeral service arrangements are pending and will be announced later. Schroeder-Mickelson Funeral Service of Shawano is assisting the family with the service arrangements. www.schroedermickelsonfuneralservice.com

Yes, it is about time we turn the calendar over to February! Somehow the month of January dragged on way too long. Even though it is the same 31 days in length each and every year, in 2014 seemed to go on twice as long. So, I say farewell to January, and I hope the traditional January thaw shows up in February. At least this is a short month, and it has Valentine’s Day. It is amazing how full my February calendar has already become.

So often lately, I’ve heard different people complain about having the winter blahs. The length of time we’ve actually had to deal with snow on the ground and particularly the harsh, brutal temps we’ve been experiencing along with this seemingly endless time of year plays a part, I’m sure. The other day I was driving to town and happened to catch Midday Connection on WRVM, the Suring station.

Jim Black volunteers for the Shawano Optimist Club and the Civil Air Patrol. He was born in Rochester, Minn., and graduated from Lourdes High School. He earned a degree in animal science from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He is employed at Cooperative Resources International as associate vice president of IT services. His wife, April, is employed at St. James Lutheran School.

The 4-H Older Youth Group gives members new opportunities to develop leadership skills and new adventures as they grow older. “It gives them the opportunity to meet kids throughout the county and to network and perform additional leadership roles,” said Terri Brunner, 4-H program assistant and adviser for the group. The group is open to all 4-H members who are in sixth grade and above. The Older Youth Group, of OYG, provides a voice for what memb

SCHS breaks out its song and dance Most con men today get their faces plastered on the evening news, but Shawano Community High School is presenting a story about a bad man turned good in “The Music Man.” The show features high school and middle school students, along with an adult barbershop quartet. Performances are at 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at the school, 220 County Road B, with the doors opening 30 minutes before each performance.

A Shawano police officer’s keen eye and a quick response from firefighters were being credited Friday for catching a fire at Anello’s Torch Lite before it could do more than moderate damage. “Five more minutes and we would have lost everything,” owner Rita Mondus said. “We got lucky.” One animal, an arctic fox, was lost in the fire, Mondus said.

St.

The WIAA Board of Control granted final approval Wednesday of a realignment plan that affects 76 area schools and overhauls the Bay and Eastern Valley conferences for the 2015 season. The new-look Bay Conference will include current Bay schools Shawano, New London, Seymour and West De Pere and add Appleton Xavier from the Eastern Valley, Menasha from the Fox Valley Association, and Green Bay East and Green Bay West from the Fox River Classic Conf